Can a Standing Desk Really Make a Calorie Burning Difference?

Have you heard about how bad sitting for extended periods of time is for your overall health? Then you have likely also heard a lot about the standing desk—an invention designed to help you get work done at your desk while standing.

Although a standing desk is certainly a good way to get up and avoid remaining seated for too long, does it really make a difference when it comes to burning additional calories?

What Experts Have Determined

When they analyzed various studies, experts found that there really isn’t much of a difference between the calories that you will burn while you are sitting versus while you are standing. So, while a standing desk isn’t a bad idea, it should not be considered a tool that will help you lose a lot of weight in a short period of time. In fact, the average difference in the number of calories that were burned between standing and sitting was a mere 0.15 calories per minute, according to Forbes.

But Wait, It Could Add Up!

Before you totally discount the benefits of a standing desk, consider how the calories burned will add up over time. As an example, if you were to stand for six hours every day rather than sit for the same amount of time, you would use up an extra 54 calories per day if you weigh around 143 pounds. In the course of one year, you might end up losing a few pounds just from standing more because it requires more energy than sitting.

Other Benefits of Standing

In addition to helping you burn some extra calories every day, standing also comes with other health benefits. For example, it might help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, and it may even reduce back pain if you suffer with it. Beyond that, the more you stand, the more energy you might have. You may even notice that your mood improves as well.

Some people claim that you can burn twice as many calories by using a standing desk than by sitting while you work, but this isn’t necessarily so. You can certainly burn additional calories. However, by making it a point to spend less time in a seated position, and a standing desk can help you achieve that goal with greater ease, so it might be a wise investment for your health and fitness after all.